Culture: 426 posts

This fascinating bottle was designed by René Lalique in 1925 for Guerlain Bouquet de Faunes, a fragrance that debuted in 1922. I can only wonder what the content of that flacon were like! .

A honeyed wave of warmth spreads out slowly, its languorous movement revealing a glitter of lily redolent note of rosewood—that unique sharpness of white petals caught in rich woodsy duskiness. A luminous note of saffron falls into the hot wood shavings impression of the composition. A honeyed sweetness underscored by beautiful wood notes reminds me of opening an antique jewelry box—a scent of rare woods, spicy, smooth and alluring. The fragrance in question is Palisander, from Comme des Garçons Red Series created by Yann Vasnier of Quest International. He is a perfumer for the Fine Fragrances division, a position to which he was promoted in December of 2004, after joining Quest in 1999.

Continue reading →

The JAR Parfums boutique is already opened at New York’s Bergdorf Goodman, and it is a beautiful spot. The corner that was previously owned by Guerlain (about to be relocated to its own boutique) is now a vision of dusty rose and purple, with the bolts of lightning decorating the ceiling. The front table of the boutique holds the fragrance bottles arranged on suede pillows, with a large round jar holding perfume soaked chamois placed besides a corresponding bottle. The JAR presentation is to let one first smell the fragrances (the names are displayed on each jar) and then to decide which to sample on the skin.

Among the madness of Bergdorf beauty department, JAR boutique strikes me as serene and calm. The notes of the fragrances are not revealed, which is an interesting concept, which goes at odds with the common way of marketing perfume. However, Joel Arthur Rosenthal, a famous jeweler, is not a conventional persona, therefore the usual is not something one can expect from him. He wants people to form their own impressions of the fragrance, rather than walk away thinking about a list of notes. In the end, what really matters is the scent itself.

Whether or not one cares for the JAR concepts, the prices or the fragrances, the compositions are constructed from high quality ingredients, and it is impossible not to notice that aspect. Golconda is made from the most amazing carnation absolute that scintillates like a handful of precious jewels. Shadow dries down to the smoothest sandalwood I have encountered. Even my least favorite of the line, Jardenia opens up with a fantastic magnolia note, all white petals, cured leaves, leather and salt.

Bolt of Lightning has been my favorite since I first tested it in Paris. Encountering it again at Bergdorf Goodman, I am amazed by the beauty of the composition, which starts out as radiant and green, like a scent of a garden on a hot summer morning. The blinding sunlight, the scents of leaves, soil and flowers are felt in warm green burst of the top notes. Since I have started my tuberose love affair, I tested a fair number of various absolutes and wore many of them through the summer, alone and diluted to 10% concentration. Not surprising that inhaling Bolt of Lightning, what I notice the most this time is the rich tuberose blooming in this garden. At first, it just sheds a few petals that become tangled in the green grass. The heart revels in the cascade of tuberose blossoms which are shimmering and stunning, as if the pure gold of the sun is distilled into the essence that comprises the fragrance. The dark menacing aspect of tuberose is where one is led in the drydown. A green note weaves in gently, yet it is the dark sensual tuberose that takes the center stage. Dark and mysterious, it must one of the most fascinating tuberose fragrances I have tested.

Photo: JAR, Butterfly brooch in silver and gold with rubies, sapphires, amethysts and diamonds.  

I am walking through a fragrance library, where scents and words are intertwined. I browse through the pages of perfume history, perfume images and various other bits of information a fragrance lover relishes. Whether I want to read about Daim Blond by Serge Lutens, creations by Jean-Claude Ellena or a fragrance in a Mossy Woods family, the information is at my finger tips. This veritable fragrance library is an online program created by Jan Moran, the author of Fabulous Fragrances series, in collaboration with Michael Edwards.

Continue reading →

Please see Part I.

From rue de Rivoli, we turn onto rue Castiglione and find ourselves in front of Jean Patou boutique. The store is unexpectedly outfitted in tongue-in-cheek mod décor, which gives it a very lighthearted feel. Although the selection is only of the most popular Jean Patou fragrances—thus, my hopes of finding a bottle of Moment Suprême are dashed, Neela and I enjoy smelling the absolutes that comprise Joy and 1000. I am glued to a bottle of jasmin de Grasse, and Neela starts to look worried that I might do something impetuous. Unwillingly I separate from it and instead settle on a bottle of Joy EDT, a mist of jasmin de Grasse and rose de mai on a naughty civet base.

We walk down rue du Faubourg-St. Honoré past elegant boutique windows and sparkle of lights inside. We make brief stops at Longchamps, Lanvin, and Hermès boutiques. Although the tour has already taken up a couple of hours, Neela makes it feel not so much a shopping spree experience as an intimate process of discovery. For this reason, she insists on charting her tours on an individual basis, for either one individual or a small group of friends. During our walk, Neela mentions other interesting perfume places I can visit when I have more time, like Miller et Bertaux store and Parfumerie Générale with its “cosmetics bar” among others.

Continue reading →